The Writing Warrior: Discovering the Courage to Free Your True Voice

by Laraine Herring

All writers are faced at some point with feelings of self-consciousness and self-doubt about their work. In this invaluable guide, Laraine Herring offers advice to writers who want to become more comfortable with their writing, face their inhibitions, and gain the confidence to release their true voice. Utilizing the breath, a vigorous movement practice designed to break up stagnation with the body and the mind, and writing exercises aimed both at self-exploration and developing works-in-progress, Herring offers a clear path to writing through illusion. Learn how to remove obstacles in your writing and develop techniques to help you relax into your own voice; discover ways to enter into a compassionate, non-judgmental relationship with yourself so that you can write safely and authentically from a place of absolute vulnerability; and discover the interconnectedness of your personal writing process and the community as a whole. The Writing Warrior will not only help you find ways to develop your writing, but also ways to develop yourself.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction

272 pages, Paperback

First published July 20, 2010

About the author

Laraine Herring holds an MFA in creative writing and an MA in counseling psychology. Her short stories, poems, and essays have appeared in national and local publications. Her fiction has won the Barbara Deming Award for Women and her nonfiction work has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. She currently directs the creative writing program at Yavapai College in Prescott, Arizona. She is a member of the Author’s Guild and the American Association of University Professors, and she volunteers with Hospice Family Care.

Reviews

[Annette Fuller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a big fan of books on the craft of writing that talk about the creative side of things. I’ve been struggling lately with not having a strong enough sense of safety and comfort in my own mind, and as a consequence, not bringing myself to write. It’s a vicious cycle, because writing can help soothe the demons of depression and the feeling of being out of control of things.
I read some articles recently on a particular emotional struggle that defined my childhood. And it was so validating, to know that I wasn’t making it all up. I can feel really crazy sometimes, because a lifetime of gaslighting does a great job of really crystalizing that impulse to constantly question yourself.
What having a brain that is recovering from trauma means is that creativity can be a really vulnerable state to enter. Some people use their art as a way to cope with their neuroatypical setup. Some people, like myself, can only really access their art when there’s a sense of safety and comfort. It’s so easy to shut everything down, to refuse to be vulnerable because it might hurt too much. Vulnerability is terrifying. And art—good art, anyway—requires vulnerability. And I don’t lean into it as easily as some. It’s so rare that I feel truly safe. It’s rare that I’m not trying to control my environment, trying to think of every possible negative eventuality and doing all the prep that can prevent things from going wrong.
Art is unpredictable, I think. I write an outline and I have big story structure points I want to get to, but then my characters say “Oh hey, I think this scene should happen in the park instead,” or, “There’s something over there that I want to examine let’s shift directions a bit…” There isn’t much that I’m in control of, and that’s a really beautiful thing, when it’s flowing and I’m learning things about these characters as I go, and fleshing out the world. It’s powerful. But I don’t always feel safe enough to tap into that power. Sometimes I worry that it would burn me up.
It’s silly that so many people in my life have told me that I’m “too much.” Even I get scared by the depths of my emotions. So I can understand why they might be threatening to others.
This book, by Laraine Herring, is written for the type of artist that I am. It isn’t about how to structure a plot, it isn’t about the best methods of characterization, it isn’t about how literary or contemporary your writing should be. It’s all about nurturing the writer, the artist, that you are. There’s this amazingly human vessel involved in the creative process. And if we don’t care for ourselves right, there won’t be anything of ourselves to pour into the story.

I read through this entire book without performing any of the exercises, absorbing the anecdotes and enjoying Herring’s writing style. She’s concise, but also delightfully meandering, including stories from her own life that illustrate some of her points. The writing practice she suggests is focused on breathing, then shaking your body physically, then sitting down to write. I’ll admit that I haven’t tried it yet. It’s been tough lately to just handle my normal adulting responsibilities, of which writing is not one. I’m intrigued by this idea, though. I’m 100% in favor of anything that brings our bodies into greater contact with our minds. I’ll have to come back and edit this review when I’ve given her suggestions a try. Regardless, I’m glad I read this book, and glad there are people out there who acknowledge that taking care of the writer, as a flawed and imperfect and constantly healing human, is a difficult process, that deserves intentionality and perseverence.

[Liam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not great. This book can be summed up in the following question: "Have you ever tried meditating... and then writing?" It talks a lot about vulnerability and letting things go, but doesn't actually talk practically about writing all that often. Characters in your head, letting your instincts guide you, breathing exercises, all that— but not much else. Try emptying your mind and focusing on your breathing... and then try writing! That's the book in a nutshell. If I had known that, I probably wouldn't have read it.

[Amber Polo · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite quote: "Taking commas in or out is simply rearranging ships on the ocean of story."
Thanks, Laraine for sharing bits of wisdom and encouragement for the dark hours.

[malrubius · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not only is this another excellent, motivational, inspirational book by Herring, but, like Writing Begins with the Breath, it is written with compassion and flair.

[Andi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspiration. Motivation. Some good gut-checks. Great advice. And the feeling of having a good friend keep you keepin' on with your writing.

Absolutely recommended for any writer.

[Wendy Fontaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book not only writing craft but also on living the life of a writer. Laraine focuses largely on process over product - how you write as opposed to what you write. Her voice is relatable and kind, and her approach is encouraging. Always write fiction? Maybe try some poetry. Always write linearly? Try something nonlinear. Let the writing tell you what it wants to be and then follow with an open mind and an open heart.
This book is like one long pep talk from a friend. I've marked several pages with sticky tabs and underlined even more sentences and paragraphs. I will be returning to this book again and again.

[Heather Silvio · Rating 3 out of 5]

The latest book I read for my MFA program; overall, I liked the author's easy writing style. However, if you have a background in psychology and/or have already published, you may not find too much that is new to you. In addition, as others have noted, the book is more self-help and memoir than writing guide. This book would likely work great for someone with no psychology background and/or who is at the beginning of their writing path.

[Mui Fah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a sacred work.

I mark it as “read”, but it will actually never be completely “read” because I continue to find new wisdom in these pages.

The “breath, shake, write”...it’s phenomenal. I actually did practice this for 49 days as recommended. I wish I had kept it up to this day.

I feel very grateful to have come across this book. It’s the kind that can change your life...

[W.L. Bolm · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think that this is my favorite book on writing/creating since reading The Artist's Way. The essays are often more thought-provoking than prescriptive, but the exercises and meditation practice have helped me immensely, and not just with my writing.

[Jan Kellis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of great ideas and writing tips, and a healthy dose of inspiration for those wishing they were writing instead of reading about writing.

[Dustin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Writing Warrior practice of breathing, shaking, and writing described in this book helped me better focus my energy and attention on the task of getting words on the page. However, the book is really a memoir smartly marketed as a writing guide. The Writing Warrior practice was a great takeaway, but the rest of the book felt like filler that only served the purpose of increasing the word count.

[Erin Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautifully-written, process-oriented look at what it takes to establish a writing practice. The book is divided into five stages along the writing journey, and each stage is filled with short essays and some exercises to develop your relationship with yourself and your writing.

[HadiDee]

If you want to write but are too scared to pick up a pen, then this might be for you.

[Cherie · Rating 2 out of 5]

B This would be great for beginning writers or even in an MFA program. Unfortunately, many of the ideas I have already heard before and it came across to me as self-help-y vs helpful.

[Camellia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another "must read"